steadfastly loving, gently courageous

Daily: Five of Wands

Since this is a new card for me, I’ll reflect first without looking up the meanings, and then again after researching.

Personal Reflection

Five hands hold up the five wands. I’m thinking perhaps it has something to do with conflict since they aren’t all raised in an organized fashion which might have indicated more solidarity. The yellow grass and yellow sky don’t seem too friendly.

Reflection After Research

The card could represent in-fighting either within a group of people or within myself. A keyword that stood out to me was “dissonance.” I’m certainly feeling internally conflicted lately. At the same time, Anthony Louis in Tarot: Plain and Simple states, “Avoid passivity at this time. Success will come as a result of your assertive efforts to overcome nuisances and obstacles” (175). It is so, so easy for me when I am in these depressive states to withdraw and give up. So while this card may speak to my internal strife, it may speak even more so to the part of me that wants to give in to depression. Paul Quinn in Tarot for Life: Reading the Cards for Everyday Guidance and Growth says, “As abrasive as the rubbing of sticks may be, with the right conditions light may come of it” (155). I love this line. Things might suck right now, and the work is hard and painful, but something warm and comforting might grow out of this.

Animal Wisdom Tarot, Animism Tarot

From my animal decks:

Scorpion: Conflict can consume us, but we can choose to turn this energy into a drive forward rather than letting it consume us.